“We have a moral duty to bereaved families” as child burial fees scrapped

Today’s news that the Scottish Government and COSLA will work to scrap all council charges for child burials and cremations has been warmly welcomed by campaigners and SNP politicians at both Westminster and Holyrood.

The Scottish Government has committed £500,000 in funding to ensure, with immediate effect, that no local authority in Scotland will charge for burial or cremation of children under 18.

Reacting to the news, Brendan O’Hara, MP for Argyll and Bute, said:

“For families, the death of a child is a harrowing experience and the last thing they should be worrying about are the burial fees so this is very much welcomed news from the Scottish Government. We have a moral duty to these families and this is the right thing to do.”

The announcement follows news that the Scottish Government will invest an additional £3million for when the new Scottish Funeral Expense Assistance fund will start in 2019, extending eligibility to approximately 2000 more payments than under the current system from Westminster.

Mr O’Hara went on to say,

“The SNP at Westminster will continue to raise the issues associated with funeral poverty. I’m delighted to see the Scottish Government putting new powers to good use to help those who are grieving or in financial distress.”